‘Being Offended Is The Natural Consequence Of Leaving One’s Home’

The Washington Post’s Sally Jenkins — who wants the Washington Redskins to change their name on their own — has a good column up on why the the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s decision to cancel their trademark was a mistake.

My favorite excerpt:

You don’t really want government agencies to become the arbiter of acceptable words and images. You really don’t. The main reason you don’t is because, like it or not, what’s offensive is subjective. It creates “a morass of uncertainty,” Rottman wrote. Consider how many offensive violations someone could find in one episode of “The Family Guy.” Or “Game of Thrones,” or “Orange Is The New Black.”

“Being offended is the natural consequence of leaving one’s home,” Fran Lebowitz wrote. She added, “I do not like after-shave lotion, adults who roller skate, children who speak French, or anyone who is unduly tan. I do not, however, go around enacting legislation and putting up signs.”